Chapter Text
Public Library, 6:45 a.m.
The library.
It was one of the few places that offered Marcy comfort before going to Amphibia. It was also one of the places that gave the geeky female where other places wouldn't. That being infinite knowledge. Whether it was for school, research, or just for the sake of it, the library was always a good place for Marcy to fuel her intellectual brain. It was where she first learned about the music box and its capabilities. But more importantly, this was also where fate would put her on the path to the frog planet, where she would meet her destiny alongside her friends, play her part in the planet's survival, and fulfill the prophecy foretold by the illustrious Mother of Olms.
But aside from fate, this was a place where Marcy could indulge in her intrigues while finding anything she needed that required knowledge besides the internet. Plus, the librarian has always been kind to her. She even gave the clumsy nerd her own study space for weeks when she needed to study for a test. What was better was that the librarian gave her a one-of-a-kind library pass card.
Thus, the former chief ranger was allowed to borrow whatever book she wanted free of charge. The only downside was she needed to bring the books back before the due date without a single scratch. Or she'd have to pay a fee. So that was a bonus. But instead of going about her usual browsing, Marcy had a unique appetite—one with an ambiguous sense of purpose—to find a book about mythical creatures—specifically, dragons.
It had only been a day since she had promised Toothless that she would find the other dragons still roaming the city in exchange for the protection of her friends. At this point, she was willing to do everything she could to uphold that promise if it meant keeping her friends safe. However, while Marcy was confident that finding the mysterious creatures shouldn't be much of a problem, what would happen next worried her. Specifically, what would become of her if she crossed paths with these other dragons?
Sure, it didn't take her long to figure Toothless out regarding his natural behavior. It only took a few days of being around him to detest the mixture of a giant winged pussycat when relaxed and a grumpy Siberian tiger when threatened or provoked. But at the same time, she nearly died in doing so. And if there was anything she learned from what Sasha and Anne had experienced in their respectful encounters, they might not be as welcoming as he was. Plus, Marcy was starting to have a hunch that they wouldn't fall for the same methods she used on Toothless since some appeared to be hot-tempered than others. Henceforth, the clumsy nerd couldn't take the chance to go through another initial encounter without being prepared.
But if there were one place in the world where she could learn more about the nature of the beasts that have come through in the past week, let alone find anything that could help her reach out to them without throwing her life away, it would be here. Luckily for the geeky teen, it was a good day to drop by, for it seemed like barely anyone was quick as a flash; Marcy hurried across the aisles in search of the book she was looking for. Further into the library, she looked, evidently coming across an aisle dedicated to fantasy novels where she suspected the subject would be kept.
As she skimmed across the aisle, Marcy noted the many books depicting many mythical creatures. Many represented trolls, unicorns, krakens, demons, a giant yellow triangle with one eye, and many others. But none of which contained anything about dragons yet. That was when she finally came across it. A small section that contained many books portraying the creatures. That is a good sign. She skimmed through every book and every novel she could find effortlessly. And that was when she saw it.
The fourth edition of the Dance of Dragons.
"Gotcha!" she muttered to herself.
It was just the book she was looking for. She already possessed a copy of Fire and Blood, but after going over it at least seven times, the former chief ranger came to detest that it did not relate to the specific nature of the dragons. It mainly was rubbish of the lineage of kings and queens. And while it was exciting to read about, it was inherently useless to her. She needed specifics about the dragons and how each of their riders could bond with them without being burned to a crisp.
This book supposedly covered that portion since it mainly covered the epic conflict that brought the dragons to near extinction. Let alone get the entire realm to near ruin because of the battles fought. From what she read in the last few copies, there was a head count of seventeen dragons that participated in the war, with only two coming out on top by the end. Many of them had more than one rider, and many people tried to tame them while failing miserably. Most of them resulted in a rather fiery demise, ending up in the bellies of the beasts themselves.
Satisfied, Marcy grabbed the book and a few others about dragons and training large animals in another aisle before setting them all down on the nearest table. While she was at it, Marcy made herself at home. She was going to be here for a while, after all. Once settled, Marcy opened the book she had been looking for and flipped through the pages. After scrolling, the geeky teen paused after coming across a peculiar page. And it was thus that her suspicions were correct.
The page covered the seventeen dragons who participated in the war and the few dragons involved before and after the conflict. The first started with the most significant and oldest dragon. And the list went on until it reached the smallest. Also, each section covered the exact behavior of each dragon, almost acting like a psychological profile, describing their tempers, preferences, stats, and everything else. Not only that, but there was also a list of all the nobles, princes, princesses, and bastards who had attempted to tame each dragon.
Excellent.
Here, she can use this knowledge to devise strategies that would help her in her mission to convince the dragons she's on their side and bring them back to the junkyard where Toothless would be waiting. It's also here that she can read about the riders' mistakes and triumphs when dealing with the dragons, along with what to do and what not to do when facing the animals. She didn't need to know everything about the creatures roaming the city personally. Still, if they, at the very least, matched the behavioral patterns of the ones in this book, then it shouldn't be too hard to convince them otherwise.
It was almost foolproof.
Urgently, Marcy pulled out her phone and took screenshots of the pages before turning to the next page. Marcy jotted down a few sidenotes in her journal for each screenshot she took while sketching each dragon. But even then, devising an actual plan would take more than this book alone.
Hence, the other books would come in. While reading the whole script about dragons was one thing, it was also very unrealistic. The other books she found relate to training animals like horses, dogs, and even elephants. She also took the precaution of finding various articles on the internet to reference.
For over an hour, the young teen went through every book she had obtained, taking more notes in her journal and drawing up various scenarios she might encounter. By reaching the tenth book, she had already lost track of time. There were times when she took breaks to prevent overstimulation, but ultimately, the benevolent nerd pressed on, feeling that it was important she should get as much done as possible before she left for school.
It wasn't until her phone started buzzing like crazy that she decided to stop. When she picked it up, Marcy held her breath when she saw Anne texting her, asking where she was and if she was okay, which was then topped off by her adding that school was about to start soon. Thus, it became clear that her time here was up.
'Sorry, just in the library, studying,' she typed. 'Be at school in a minute.'
After sending the text, Marcy hastily stuffed her notes in her backpack, not wanting to keep her friend waiting. In addition, Marcy decided to take only a few of the books she had with her as references if needed. While it was helpful to take notes, it helped even more to have something to reference off of if things go south. She was coming close to bailing out when suddenly-
"Marcy?"
The sound of a stranger's voice threw the former chief ranger off guard. Hence, Marcy yelped as she tripped over herself, spinning around to see who the interloper was. When she looked up, the Taiwanese girl was surprised to see a familiar face—no other than her dear friend Haddie, who conveniently was carrying four stacks of books with her two hands.
"Oh, hey, Haddie," she greeted before trying to play it cool so as not to look conspicuous. "What are you doing here?"
The goth girl hesitated before replying, "Oh, I'm just here picking some books to study. Yet, something tells me that I'm not the only one."
Marcy could feel her cheeks getting redder by the second, only to try to laugh it off.
"Yeah," she said frantically. "You can say that."
For some reason, Marcy had trouble looking Haddie in the eyes when she talked. It wouldn't be the first time, but the tension in the air made her extremely nervous. Then again, the clumsy nerd thought it best that she'd compose herself before she made the situation even more awkward than it needed to be.
"We're supposed to cover the Dance of Dragons today in Pattersen's class. I thought I'd get a head start by finding a copy and reading ahead."
Suddenly, the goth teenager's eyes widened in response to Marcy's with a mixture of shock and excitement.
"Oh shoot!" she exclaimed. "That's today?!"
"Yup," Marcy answered. "Mr. Patterson said we'd cover it this week. And we're starting with the Blacks and Greens in class today. I anticipate we will do a project about it soon, but he hasn't said anything yet."
Admittedly, Marcy wasn't wrong. The class was anticipated to cover the topic of the climatic war that nearly drove the dragons to near extinction. On the other hand, she failed to mention that Mr. Patterson covered the first half of the Dance this week instead of covering it in full. But she wagered Haddie didn't have to know that.
"Oh my gosh!" Haddie said with glee. "I've heard so much about that story! I've barely gotten up to the first half after Jahaerys' Reign, reaching up to the Stepstones and the Triarchy, but I hear that's where most of the action and drama is, right?"
"Are you kidding?!" Marcy responded with. "That's the highlight of the entire book series. The ending is heartbreaking, but it's still worth it."
"How much have you read, if you don't mind me asking?" Haddie questioned.
"Enough," Marcy simply put. "This is supposed to be the conflict where all the dragons turn against each other. So every dragon, except for Balerion, is present."
The goth girl gasped in utter delight, something Marcy surprisingly expected from her.
"No way!" she cried out. "I get to see my boy in action! How cool is that?!"
"You have a favorite?" Marcy asked curiously.
Haddie paused at the question momentarily. "Well, I wouldn't say I have a favorite dragon. I like them all...but let's say there's one that sticks out more than the rest."
"Which one do you have in mind ?"
"I wanna say Caraxes for his temper and fury," Haddie answered honestly. "But I wanna go with Seasmoke."
"Really?" Marcy inquired while folding her arms.
"Yeah, there's just something about him that makes me more drawn to him," Haddie elaborated. "He's loyal, brave, and takes the image of an underdog if I say so myself."
"Wow, for a second, I thought you would've gone with Sunfyre or Tessarion," Marcy replied.
"You mean those two overgrown hatchlings?!" Haddie scoffed playfully. "I mean, sure, they're beautiful to look at. But they don't have it like Seasmoke does, who fought in the Stepstones if I remember correctly."
"Fair enough," Marcy yielded. "Still, I can't help but say it's totally off the hook. I don't wanna give out any spoilers, but I think it's safe to say it'll have your mind blown."
"Whoa, you think so?" Haddie asked.
"Yup," Marcy replied. "I get goosebumps each time I read it."
"I know what you mean," the goth girl agreed.
There was a brief moment of silence going about with the two girls glancing around. Marcy was fiddling with her fingers when she noticed the goth girl looking at her a certain way.
"What?" the clumsy nerd questioned while titling an eyebrow.
"I don't know," Haddie shrugged. "All this talk about dragons. It just makes you think about everything that's happened in the last few days. And how it's all put into a matter of perspective. Don't you think?"
Marcy didn't respond right away but thought about it for a moment. As the thought lingered, it sent a cold shiver down her spine. Henceforth, the Taiwanese girl felt her hands shake slightly. She opened her mouth to say something when her phone rang again, indicating another text from Anne as soon as she pulled it out to check.
"Oh, yeah, well..." Marcy stuttered, starting to think it was time to wrap this up. "I should probably get going."
Before she could have enough time to turn the corner, the sound of what came out of the goth girl's voice made her stop dead in her tracks.
"Hey, uh," Haddie called out. "Before you go, I've been meaning to ask something."
At that moment, Marcy started feeling butterflies in her stomach. Though she didn't like being held up, the former chief ranger couldn't help but feel curious.
"What's that?" she asked, returning to face the gothic nerd.
Haddie didn't respond immediately. Instead, she took a deep breath as if preparing for a big speech. The tension in the air almost gave Marcy TV romance show vibes. Or rather, it could be something in very cliche movies where two people are in a room, and one person says something melodramatic and waits for the other person to respond.
"So, uh..." Haddie started to stumble a little. "I've been thinking a little...and..do you wanna, maybe, take some time to study together?"
Marcy gasped lightly in response. The clumsy nerd felt her heart skip a beat just from the weight of the question, which caused her to feel a little overstimulated. Haddie panicked slightly, perhaps because she didn't expect this reaction and thus didn't know how to respond.
"I-I I know school's been a lot for you lately," Haddie explained. "Same with me. But would you be more comfortable if we studied at my place? Maybe even read the Dance together?"
The former chief ranger was caught in a trance, mainly because no one had ever asked her to study with them. Haddie would be the first person on Earth, other than Anne or Sasha, who asked her to partake in an activity with them. At the same time, though, the clumsy nerd couldn't help but think back on her mission and if it were to deter her progress. And since she only knew Haddie for a few days, she couldn't help but feel a little skeptical.
"Well..it's very tempting," the former chief ranger scrambled. "But-"
Suddenly, Marcy stopped herself before she could say anything further. Now that she thought about it, she could use this to her advantage. The former chief ranger needed a proper excuse to tell her parents if she would go through with her plans to find the other dragons while being discrete about it.
Maybe this could be that excuse. They were familiar with Haddie from the party, given how she was with them when they took her to the hospital. Not only that, but Anne and Sasha wouldn't suspect anything if she spent time with her since they had been convincing her to branch out more. To put herself out there in the world and get out of that boring routine, as they mentioned a week ago. But regardless, they wouldn't grow suspicious of her if she told them she was out studying with Haddie.
Yet that would mean she must keep her word and study with Haddie. If she were to slip up once and her parents found out, they would accuse her of lying and compromise her progress. At the same time, she didn't mind it. Haddie had been a great friend to her so far. Though she had only known her for quite some time, she had gone so far as to stick by her side even after being viciously humiliated at the party. Hence, the clumsy teen had every good reason to trust her judgment.
"You know what? That sounds like a good idea," she answered. I'd like that."
Thus, no words would describe how amazed Haddie was to hear those words. The goth girl was nearly on the verge of tears when she suddenly wrapped her arms around her with a vice-like grip of a hug.
"Thank you, thank you so much!" Haddie exclaimed. "You won't regret this! I swear it!"
"I'll take your word for it," Marcy responded, wheezing from being hugged too tightly. "It's also kinda hard to breathe, so..."
Haddie paused at the realization before loosening her grip. Then, a thin sheet of hot, glowing red started to swell upon her cheeks. Marcy could tell how embarrassed she felt, but she didn't judge since she was also a nervous wreck.
"Oh, sorry about that," she said, tugging at her arm with her dominant hand. "It's just stimulating. I've never really had anyone over my house, so."
"Well, as someone who has trouble looking people in the eye sometimes, I relate," Marcy replied. "So, what day did you have in mind?"
"Hmm," the goth girl thought while scratching her chin. "Does Friday night, after school, sound good?"
"Yeah, I'm into that," said the former chief ranger. "I don't have any plans that day anyway. Let's do it."
"Cool, I'll be sure to set a reminder in case one of us forgets," said the goth girl. "But other than that, we should probably get going. Classes are about to start in about 15 minutes. If we hurry now, we can make it in time before the school bell-"
The dragon geek started reaching the door when she noticed Marcy still standing above herself as if she were contemplating something. To which the clumsy nerd kind of was, but on a different level than the goth teenager thought.
"Are you coming?" she asked.
"Nah, I'll just be a minute," Marcy replied. "There's something I wanna check first before I take off. You go on ahead. I'll meet you at school with the others."
"Oh... okay," Haddie responded, looking confused before brushing it off out of respect. "I'll see you then. Don't forget, amigo."
"Trust me, I wouldn't dream of it," Marcy replied with a slight wave. "See you soon."
With that being said, Haddie slowly veered off to the side of the door, prolonging her last goodbye with a final:
"Byeeeeeeeee!"
And it was thus that Marcy watched her new study mate walk out the library's front doors with a massive smile. For what it was worth, the clumsy nerd looked forward to studying with her. She seemed pretty eager about it, though Marcy couldn't blame her. Heck, she was just as eager herself. After all, this would make her the first real friend she would have that's not Sasha or Anne. And if things work out with the dragons, maybe there will be room for more. But only time will tell at this point.
Her train of thought was suddenly cut short when her phone buzzed for the second time. She then saw that Anne had left dozens of messages asking where she was and that school was about to start in a few minutes.
"Oh, shoot," Marcy cursed as she forgot the time. "I gotta get going."
Yet before she could take off, Marcy overlooked the librarian passing by, unknowingly dropping a book beside her. The young teen paused momentarily, sensing a bit of Deja vu, before looking down at the fallen book. She turned to try to inform the librarian, but she was just as gone as the moment she arrived. Because of this, Marcy felt very puzzled since this technically wasn't the first time the librarian had done something like this.
Hence, it gave an odd feeling in the room before the geeky teenager shrugged it off. When she picked it up, Marcy was surprised upon seeing the book's cover, which she instantly recognized. Thus, the former chief ranger's eyes widened, and a cold chill spread down her spine. It was the book she had encountered before leaving Earth—the one with the picture of the Calamity Box, dubbed 'Dr. P's Extraordinary Guide to Magic & Mystery.'
At first glance, Marcy wanted to dispose of the book so she would never find it again, knowing the number of terrible memories she had created from it. Memories that have forever scarred the former chief ranger for life. Yet before she could do so, Marcy stopped herself and thought about it. Despite this book's dangers, the clumsy nerd had to admit that it was the reason she knew about the box in the first place. Maybe there could be something in here that she might find that could help.
Therefore, Marcy opened the book and started skimming the pages as usual, occasionally coming across pages she had seen before, one of which included the page of the box itself, giving Marcy a shiver just looking at it. However, when she flips through more pages, Marcy notices a section of the book she does not recognize. One of them contained a picture of a large dragon at the center, along with the following title down bellow:
How to Speak Dragonese.
The girl raised an eyebrow at the title, wondering what it meant. She was seconds away from considering it goofy stuff, like everything else in the book, but her curiosity stopped her, given the book's title and what she already knew about it when she read it the first time. Moreover, the first page seemed to depict an image of a young boy and a very small-looking dragon, with the creature around the size of a small cat. It was an enticing image.
So, after a moment of consideration, she proudly decided to indulge her intriguing nature and give it a look. When she opened the book and flipped the pages for the first time, the former chief ranger was stunned as she gazed upon the words, mainly because it wasn't just some mere book but a dictionary of various words and what they meant.
Yet, having said that, it came with a slight hunch. Some of the words weren't written in English. Some were written in an old language, one of which was quite familiar to the teen. But she couldn't exactly figure out which one it was. What was worse was that she couldn't precisely decipher them, and not with the short time she had to make it home so her teachers wouldn't curse her for making it to school so late. Yet, having said that, there are words on the other end of the page as if they were to explain the meaning of the words
However, now that the idea stuck, it reminded her of something she had read about a language the Targaryens used to communicate figuratively with their dragons. In the book's first few chapters, she recalled reading about how they'd use certain words to command their fierce companions, especially when they flew to battle. The former chief ranger wasn't sure if it would apply to this but considered taking the book with her just to be safe. After all, nothing was more valuable than information that could help her in this endeavor.
But what caught her attention was the symbol embellished on one of the pages—a symbol of a creature she recognized all too well. It was that of a black dragon curled up with purple covering the background. While the symbol was cool to look at, the dragon piqued her interest. Thus, the clumsy nerd gasped when she realized what dragon stood out the most.
'Toothless'.
Henceforth, Marcy abruptly decided that this book was worth looking at. This was after considering the one possibility: whatever this book was, it had something to do with her new accomplice. If she was reading this right, it was a possible language barrier that could allow her to communicate with dragons. Or at least that's what Marcy detested from a hypothetical standpoint. But she needed to be sure about it. Perhaps she could decipher it at home if she brought it with her.
Thus, Marcy quickly checked out at the front desk using her library card, then shoved the book in her backpack and bolted off toward the school, silently praying she wouldn't be late. After all, she didn't want to risk her parents having her head mounted on a silver platter for such a delay.
Meanwhile...
This was perfect.
The young goth girl felt more than pleased by Marcy's answer as she left the library. Heck, Haddie didn't even think she could pull it off. She honestly thought of the worst possible outcome, which involved Marcy saying no to her. But just when she thought all hope was lost, Marcy accepted it unconditionally. Something that she had never expected, especially after everything that had happened thus far. But alas, the winds of fate were kind enough to give her the blessing of her study partner.
Quite frankly, Haddie wasn't the type of girl who tried new things, let alone go out of her way to meet new people. Heck, very few people understood her or shared the same interests as her. And those interests had everything to do with the subject of dragons. It has always been something that has given her some sense of joy ever since she was little. She didn't know why, but there was just something about them that made her feel exhilarated. The way their wings extend during flight, the burning sensation their fires bring as they engulf their enemies. Everything.
Now, she has found someone who shares those interests and understands her in a normal conversation. Someone who doesn't make her feel so alone in this world. And that was great. Though taken for granted, the emo kid felt some guilt about not being able to help Marcy back at the party. To stand there while the poor girl gets constantly harassed by a bunch of bullies, powerless to do anything, had taken its toll. There wasn't a single day where she didn't regret not doing more for her that night.
But hopefully, things will improve now that they're study partners. Marcy seemed all too eager to do so. And since they both shared an equal interest in dragons, perhaps that will spark what can be a beautiful friendship. That being said, Haddie refused to get her hopes up. This will take a lot of time to get used to. But if it meant she didn't have to be alone anymore, then that's what it would have to take.
Though, now that she thought about it, Haddie couldn't help but feel that Marcy was hiding something. She seemed more anxious than when they first met. She didn't know her very well, but it seemed obvious when she dodged some of her questions, topped with the fact she had extra books with her besides the one she mentioned. Books relating to animal training and zoo encyclopedias. That didn't seem to be quite suspicious at all.
However, the goth girl detested that whatever her new study partner kept to herself was none of her business. And it was better to respect her privacy by not asking about it unless Marcy wanted to. After all, that's what a good friend would do, and Haddie intended to do just that. She thought of all this as she walked down the street toward school, where she would face the reality of her life and be reduced to nothing but pure boredom and nothingness.
That was until she dipped her gaze to the sidewalk and noticed something peculiar. Part of the sidewalk was darker than the rest of the road. Henceforth, a shadow blacker than any passing cloud swept over the young girl. Half a second later, there was the distant call of what could only be heard as a metallic screech and the sound of beating wings. Thus, the gothic girl looked up, only to gasp in shock at what she saw flying from afar.
It was a dragon.
A dragon that flew overhead from the direction she was walking toward. From the looks of it, she had seen this dragon before. On the news, she watched it make a mess of things at the Sofi Stadium before bursting out and flying south. Not only that, but from what she heard from Gabby and Maggie, this dragon was also there that attacked the mall, rammed straight into the front entrance, and made a mess of things before taking off with its partner.
While she felt terrible about what happened to Sasha, Haddie also couldn't help but admire it for its rather impressive resilience. Though she could barely see it from the ground, the goth girl could see it was in pretty good shape. Something that could scarcely be seen as impossible for any ordinary animal. But then again, this wasn't exactly an ordinary animal. The fact it's still flying after everything it's been through was most admirable.
As the dragon flew by, Haddie couldn't take her gaze off it. The sight of such a magnificent creature was something she wasn't going to take for granted. Heck, it was just a week ago that people considered them myths. Made up creatures to frighten children and use as symbols of evil for various religions, save for religions in South Asia. Regardless, the goth girl considered it a privilege to gaze upon such a beast with her own two eyes and not be called a nerd. For a moment, the silver creature dipped its head down with its green eye looking downward. Judging from its angle, the goth kid could've sworn it was looking down at her.
She could feel it as its gaze pierced her soul. Hence giving her some serious goosebumps. After a second and a half, the dragon turned its gaze back up as it kept flying. There, she carefully watched it bank before heading east, to what end she wasn't entirely sure. Just the mere thought made Haddie's hair stand on end. A dragon, an actual dragon, looking at her while passing over. She was utterly stunned at this point.
And to think, this day couldn't have gotten any better. Yet she didn't have the words to describe how she felt. There was so much energy coursing through her body that she couldn't even think. However, after a moment of silence, the goth teenager managed to mutter something that summed up her feelings through a single word.
"Wow."
Afterward, she giggled like a schoolgirl before prancing off back toward school. The dragon continued to fly east until it was entirely out of her sight.
Somewhere in Los Angeles... 7:55 a.m.
Hookfang was restless.
Much more than he intended to be. It was only a few days since he arrived on this dung heap of a world. And it had only been a couple of days since he rescued Windshear from that strange human girl that threatened to end her life. He had no idea who she was and cared even less since she had the nerve to face him only to end in total failure. He had to give her credit, though; she fought very well for a human. And a young one at that. She had to be somewhere near Snotout's age when they first met. Maybe a little younger.
It had been a while since the nightmare faced such a challenge, and even longer for an opponent to nearly beat him in a straight fight. Heck, not even Snotlout could bring him to heel. But even so, she was no match for his ferocity. Thus rendering all of her efforts futile. But even with his glorious triumph, he was still forced to retreat with Windshear to avoid any more attention from human reinforcements. Now, he's stuck in this abandoned structure, skulking around like an albino night terror while awaiting Windshear's inevitable return.
Though as hard as it was for him to admit, the flaming wyrm was impressed by how the Razorwhip handled herself since coming to her rescue, having fended off more than enough humans before he arrived. And it took their combined efforts and firepower to fend off the rest of the humans long enough for them to escape. But despite her vicious tenacity, she did take quite a beating, much more than he did. Hence, when they first found this place, the silver dragon needed to rest so she had time to heal before they could search for their leader in the field.
Since then, he spent the last seventeen hours watching over her intently as she rested. Luckily for her, Windshear healed faster than either of them could anticipate, and she fully recovered just recently. But when it came to scouting ahead, the metallic dragon insisted she go out and that he'd remain in here to avoid causing any trouble, which was utterly outrageous. He was in perfect shape. Sure, he did kind of torch a flying metal beast while retreating and may or may not have crashed into a few buildings along the way. But that doesn't have to do anything. Heck, he wagered that she wanted the glory all for herself, being the proud Razorwhip she was.
Hence, while he sat in this abandoned structure, the stubbornness in the monstrous nightmare was eating away at him. Thus making him yearn for some action. Especially after hearing what he swore to the Gods he heard, a call from their alpha, Toothless. In that case, who knows what kind of trouble the night fury has gotten himself into? And it only made him feel even more uneasy to think that his king was out there somewhere, and all he did was sit here in this desolate hole and wait. It was going to kill him at this point. The sound of the silver dragon's beating wings approaching from outside was the only thing that threw off his constant debating.
'Anything yet?' Hookfang asked from inside.
Windshear shook the dirt off her scales from the edge of the entrance before glancing over the resting dragon. Only to come closer to him before giving him her answer.
'Nothing yet,' she answered. 'Got up to half a click before calling to double back. But there are way more humans patrolling than I thought.'
Hookfang grumbled in response, with hot steam escaping his nostrils. It was made clear that he didn't like this news in the slightest. However, that was probably the stubbornness still eating at him. The silver dragon felt his frustration but waited for him to voice his concerns before jumping to conclusions.
'This is getting ridiculous!' he exclaimed.
'What is?' Windshear asked curiously.
'Us sitting here and doing nothing,' Hookfang elaborated. 'We should be out there. Looking for Toothless and bending knees instead of waiting.'
'I don't know if you haven't noticed this, Hookfang,' the Razorwhip replied. 'But we're heavily outnumbered here.'
'Which is why we should go together,' Hookfang persisted. 'With our combined firepower, we can find Toothless and drive off any human that gets in our way. Take them out one by one.'
'Idiot!' Windshear scolded. 'We barely escaped with our lives! If we go out now, it'll be a death sentence!'
'It's better than standing around and doing nothing!' Hookfang stood firm.
'Hookfang, I've traveled hundreds of miles across this world searching for our alpha endlessly till you found me,' Windshear reiterated. 'Top that with dodging as many fire arrows and powerful blasts. I need to rest and continue to heal my wounds. And so should you.'
'Oh yes, rest while our king is out there, all too exposed,' the monstrous nightmare said sarcastically. 'You heard the call yourself. We need to find him.'
The razorwhip could feel Hookfang being close to losing his temper. She could see it in his golden eyes, which glowed orange, along with the sizzling hot sensation his body gave away as flames started to spark up. Luckily for the silver dragon, Hookfang was sensible enough to calm himself before he could lose control.
'Look, I get why you'd want to go out there,' Windshear emphasized. 'But this isn't Berk anymore. These humans are far too dangerous for us to take on. We need to be smart about this.'
'And what would happen if they found Toothless?' he asked.
'Then I would pity them,' Windshear answered. Both dragons knew fully well how capable of a dragon Toothless was. Not only as a fighter but also as a leader too. And they sure as heck knew what happens when you cross paths with a Night Fury with ill intent. The Berkians didn't nickname him the 'Unholy Offspring of Lightning and Death Itself' for nothing. 'Though I think he'd tell you the same thing if he were here with us. He would've been wise enough not to act on the impulses that others might have.'
Hookfang snorted before taking up a spot beside the window, watching as the flashing lights of this accursed land continued to flicker. He didn't like it when Windshear teased him like that. Stormfly was just as bad, if not worse. Though, as much as he didn't want to admit it, the razorwhip had a fair point. Toothless would do something like that. Being the most intelligent of all of them, along with his current status as the alpha, the night fury sure has picked up a lot of wisdom these past few years.
Still, it didn't feel right to sit around and wait for something to happen. Their enemies are everywhere, and until recently, they have increasingly mobilized. It will only be a matter of time before they pick up their trail, and they will be forced to flee again. However, now that the subject has come to light, it made Hookfang think about Stormfly. She would have no problem evading them, being the second-fastest dragon beside their alpha. The nightmare reckoned that she had a better time out there than he was. The sheer thought of it started to make him feel jealous.
This started to make him think about the others and where they were. He already caught up with Windshear and had picked up Toothless's alpha call from miles away. Yet, he still had to encounter everyone else in his time here thus far. There was still Meatlug, Thornado, Barf, and Belch, and all the others who were sucked into the portal were the same as him. They were out there somewhere and were either hiding, like he and Windshear, or were already taken victim by the humans' war machine.
No doubt, Meatlug was one of them, given her slow pace. Barf and Belch might hold their own for a while, yet their constant need for chaos and destruction would probably get the better of him. Though, they'd probably go out in a blaze of glory. He would've given anything to be a part of that. To fight for his alpha and friends against any and all enemies. Just like he did in the good old days back on Berk. But alas, this wasn't Berk, nor was this home. This place was something entirely new. And one mistake could be their last. He didn't need to be a night fury to see that.
'Do you think there's anyone else out there?' he asked, calmly this time.
Windshear hesitated momentarily, being as uncertain as he was about the predicament. Like her ferocious companion, Windshear was in the dark about the coming days. Being trapped in an unfamiliar land, teaming with unfamiliar danger, did not sit well for the silver creature. To make matters worse, she had no idea they could return home yet, given how they suddenly just appeared here in the blink of an eye not too long ago.
But survival was the number one priority that came into her mind, and if resting up and letting her wounds heal was the only way to achieve it for the moment, then that was precisely what she planned on doing. And whether the nightmare liked it or not, he had to be on board, too.
'I don't know, Hookfang,' she replied. 'I don't know.'
Hence, much to the monstrous nightmare's dismay, the two dragons concluded that rest was a priority for the moment. Though it shouldn't have been too long, her wounds were recovering quickly. Thus, Hookfang's plans to search were put on hold for now. And the only thing he could do was lay and wait, wondering what the others were doing at this very moment.
Griffith Park... 8:00 a.m.
The arrival of unexpected creatures is reshaping the heart of LA County as the military starts to immobilize around the county's borders, preventing anyone from entering or leaving the city to contain the situation. With it, thousands of people are forced into this line of fire, cut off from the rest of the state as the land shrinks around them. With so many creatures scattered across the city, thousands of lives are thrown into the mix of the chaos as the attacks intensify from neighborhood to neighborhood in an instant, turning the once-pound city of Angels into a volatile warzone.
But there is always one who is oblivious to the dangers, let alone carries the same amount of volatile nature towards others as the rest. Hidden away, deep within the mountain regions of Griffith Park, Meatlug emerges from the rubble. Disoriented from being sucked into a wormhole, the gronckle shakes off the dirt and checks her surroundings. She does not think much of it due to the grogginess, but as she slowly starts to regain her focus, Meatlug is instantly on high alert.
She looked around, noting the drastic change in the environment. The terrain was a bit rocky and covered with shrubs and dry vegetation. The air smelt different; the warm ocean breeze was replaced with a smoke scent, almost reminding her of the smoggy remains of a Smokebreath nest. The chubby creature looked up and noticed the sky was different, too, taking note of the strange clouds that pierced the heavens above. And the sun was rising from the west, though she could barely see it through the dimness of said clouds. But what got her attention was the manufactured structures that accompanied her surroundings just behind her.
The boulder-class dragon took a closer look at the unique configurations with extreme wonder. They were carved out in stone, with a few wooden surfaces planted firmly at the center of each structure. However, as she moved closer to get a better view, the small dragon was taken aback when she noticed some metal bars enforced in the middle of said architecture. It was almost taking the form of a cage. Some part of her doubted it since this looked nothing like a cage. But if it was, she couldn't help but note it being one of the weirdest cages she had ever seen.
Nevertheless, whatever this place was, it looked old and possibly abandoned. And it wasn't worth the effort to explore it even further. Besides, there was a chance that whoever built this place would have passed away long before it was finished. It was probably the only explanation she came up with it being abandoned. Then suddenly, the rocky dragon's eyes widened when something else came across her mind. Something she hadn't thought about until just now.
'Toothless,' she muttered to herself.
Henceforth, Meatlug bolted in the opposite direction and towards the direction of what appeared to be a hill. The boulder class dragon stumbled a bit after tripping over a tree branch, but her tiny wings picked her back up, where she would be moving again. Once she had reached the hill's edge, she looked over the horizon, only to take in a view that had almost taken her aback. For off in the distance, she had seen even greater metal structures that appeared to be the size of mountains. With flying monstrosities inhabiting the skies above them, circling the perimeter of the large structures tentatively, to what end, she wasn't sure of.
To add further into her bewilderment, the boulder-class dragon could hear distant sounds of noise she had never heard before, with giant metal beasts coming and going below those structures. And there happened to be schools of them. All of them were covered with bright lights that shined across the land, spanning for miles on end. It was a forest she had never seen in her short and broad-wing life. Hence, the entire predicament brought the chubby creature to one conclusion:
This was nothing like home.
This was no surprise to her, considering this island looked nothing like any island she had visited in the Archipelago. But at the same time, her alpha was down there somewhere. In an unfamiliar land and facing unfamiliar danger. He probably needs her help right now. And she had to do something. Therefore, the chubby creature decided her best option was to go down there and find him at any cost. Sure, there was the chance she might encounter danger, considering that the locals here may be less tolerant of strangers, massive reptilian beasts like herself. But now, the only thing that concerned her the most was getting Toothless. Because why wouldn't she?
Toothless was not just her alpha, but he was also her closest friend. He would've done the same for her. Not only that, but she had been at his side since their days on Berk, fighting dragon hunters, dodging the screaming death, even bearing witness to his legendary duel against the Bewilderbeast, and earning his title as alpha, and had followed him unconditionally ever since. What kind of a dragon, let alone a good friend, would she be not to go and find him? Perhaps a pretty lousy one, probably.
And it was thus that Meatlug began to flap her tiny wings once again, barely able to lift herself off the ground as usual before flying straight toward the metal structures. Hence, she is on a mission to find her alpha and possibly her friends if they, too, are out there, even if it kills her.